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Live a Little, Play a Little

Xanadu Weyr - The Firelizard TheatreThere are many different things to look at here. In the northern part of this field lies a massive fort made out of wood. About 10 feet to the right of the fort, there are wooden sit-toys carved in the likeness of dragons and even painted as such. In the middle of the field are two sets of swings suspended from a wooden beam, held up by two wooden beams on either side. To the left of the swings is a 5 by 6 rectangular box filled not quite to the top with sand from Xanadu Weyr's Beach. To the right of the swings are monkey bars, completely crafted out of wood. In front of you are two seesaws, both made out of wood. Finally, to your near left are two benches underneath a large Lemosian Ironwood tree. You find yourself standing in the Courtyard of The Firelizard.

Winter has to give way at some point and slowly, but surely, the season is changing into spring. The grounds of the theatre aren't quite free of all the snow and a few young children make good use of the last of it, much to the woe of their caretakers. If it's not snow the children find, it's all the puddles and the resulting mud. Kiena has tucked herself up on the bench by the Lemosian Ironwood, her favourite spot to go to. She's alone at the moment, her twin daughters no where in sight and she seems to be staring off into space distractedly.

Mur'dah is out jogging, and he tends to avoid the main roads when he does so. With the Theater so close to his weyr, he's often jogging through here…just like he is now, in his loose running clothes. Spotting Kiena the brownrider slows up, waving.

Kera is out and about as well, her winged friends keeping Moncerath company back in the green's half of the cottage. Not really paying attention to where her feet are taking her, she finds herself stepping towards the little playground. But instead of weyrbrats climbing over the wooden dragons and seesaw, it's Kiena and Mur'dah that get's her attention, sending each a quick wave.

It's hard to remain lost in thought when folk literally jog into your field of vision. Kiena starts a bit, blinking as she gives her head a quick shake. Focused, she smirks at Mur'dah and half-waves, half-salutes back to him. "Good jog?" she asks as she stretches her legs, grimacing a bit at the stiffness in them. How long has she been sitting there? Catching sight of Kera, she repeats the same half-salute and half-waved gesture to the greenrider. "Afternoon!" she calls.

Mur'dah grins, pausing hopefully just outside of smell range as he starts to stretch. "Yeah, feels good. What're you up to?" Turning, he smiles and tosses up a wave. "Hey, Kera! How's things?"

Kera offers each a cheery smile and tip of her head "G'afternoon you two." Her steps slow, but don't quite stop as she moves closer. Noting the lack of children around, she shrugs and decides to settle on a higher perch than a bench. "Goin well enough. Yourselves?" Her gaze slips from Weyrsecond to brownrider as she makes it to the monkey bars.

Hey, Kera's got the right idea! Kiena slouches a bit on the bench as she peers up at Mur'dah with a crooked smirk. "I bet it does," she drawls and then waves a hand dismissively. "Girls were out but they decided to take a mud bath and so have earned a real one. Only not by my hands." Obviously. "Didn't even think they could howl quite at octaves like that. You'd think they were going to slaughter." She clicks her tongue then and pushes to her feet, shaking out her legs and rolling some stiffness from her shoulders too. "You, Mur'dah? And I've been well, Kera. Busy. You still working at your Craft?" She'll motion for Mur'dah to join her, if he wants to as she walks over to the structures with long strides. Time to play? You bet it is. Kera may be wanting to sit on those bars, but Kiena takes the other end to swing in place from them.

Mur'dah laughs. "Why couldn't they just stay muddy? Isn't mud good for a girl's skin?" He's…only half kidding. "I'm doing fine. Need to keep up with the running, you know. Can't let myself go to seed and all." He pats his belly with a smirk, and then follows after, climbing up to sit at the top of the slide and grin down at the women.

Kera reaches for the upper bars, grabbing them firmly then starts hanging a bit. As she stretches her arms and shoulders this way, sorta rocking to and fro, the greenhealer chuckles at the antics Kiena relays. Mur'dah's advocacy for the rights of the muddied gets a grin as she stands again and jumps a bit, swinging her feet up between the bars and hooking them securely. "But the mud stains are so hard to get out of everything." Letting go with her hands, Kera swings from the momentum and tries to peer up to the Kiena from her upside down position. "Trying to. As much as the alternating Wing duties allow me too at least."

"That's not the same sort of mud!" Kiena informs Mur'dah with a crooked grin and proceeds to calmly mimic Kera's antics and hang from the bars by her ankles. Anything you can do, I can do… the same? Or it's just plain fun to hang upside down for a bit! "Tell me about it. Kera's got the right of it! They had mud everywhere! But I guess if you don't mind it so much, you won't mind then if I use your weyr to bathe them the next time?" she teases the brownrider. Or threatens him. Could be taken both ways! Sobering, she offers a smile to Kera. "You'll find that balance yet, you'll see. So long as you're enjoying it?"

Kera grins to Kiena when the bluerider's head drops down within range so she doesn't have to crane her neck to look upwards. Though she does make the effort to peer to Mur'dah when his weyr is threatened with a potential mud bath. An agreeable sound bubbles out of her concerning working to find a balance. "It certainly hasn't been boring. Been sorta strange working back in the Hall since joining Asteroid. So many new faces…young ones…in the classrooms and library." Being upside down, her wince is probably missed "I do wish there were more candlemarks in the day. I feel bad for not being able to visit N'talya very much. Even if she likes to throw one shock at me after another when I make it to Ista."

Kiena scoffs, "Mur'dah, do you have any idea how many changes of clothes the girls have as it is? Y'know, I'm half tempted to just leave them in your care for a day or two…" Oh wait, she already has! But only one of them at a time. Then he'd know her pain! And why she fosters. "Oh no! Mud for beauty is a completely different thing." she states matter-of-factly as she swings a little from the bars. Back and forth, back and forth! Eventually the blood starts to rush to her head, so she bends up to grip the bars and haul herself up so that she's sitting on them instead with her legs swinging. "HA! You sure you want to keep that offer open?" she drawls with a wry grin to the brownrider. Glancing back to Kera, she nods her head and then tilts it curiously. "You've a friend in Ista? Wait… I think I know that name. I… Shells. Greenrider, right? I think I faced her in the mud wrestling during the Games." And lost.

Mur'dah smiles at Kera. "You feel old?" he asks teasingly. "N'talya? What's going on with her these days?" He nods. "Yeah, the name sounds familiar to me too." As for mud and the girls, he just winks at Kiena. "You've seen my mudroom…get it muddy!"

Kera flicks her gaze between Kiena and Mur'dah as she gently swings, til the bluerider shifts around. Deciding she has a point, Kera also swings up to grab the bars. Dropping her feet back to the ground, she keeps a hold since one of her legs seems to have gone to sleep. Back and forth her gaze goes, smiling at the pair as more threats about tending to two muddy kids are made. Nodding to the Weyrsecond "Yea, N'talya. Met her here when I was first posted from the hall, but she was searched and went to Ista shortly after." A little chuckle slips out as she nods once more "Probably was her, but she'll not be doing any more mug wrestling for a while. She's a few months along now."

Kiena snorts and rolls her eyes to Mur'dah's wink. If she wasn't Weyrsecond, she'd stick her tongue out at him… oh, who is she kidding? She does it anyways, as it's only him, Kera and a few caretakers (who won't talk) who witness a moment of child-like behaviour from her. "Want me to get muddy for you then?" she fires back at him and now her grin is almost challenging. To Kera, she grins as well. "Ahh, I see. Still, it's good that you've maintained contact with her despite her being Searched and Impressing in Ista. Good to hold those relationships…" Blinking, she clears her throat. "Ah. Pregnant? Well… good for her."

Mur'dah sticks his tongue out at Kiena again, and when she asks /that/ question he stops, staring at her. His blush should be answer enough, right? "I could take you in a mud wrestling match." Cough. "Oh! Congratulations to her then." He looks at Kiena, head tilting for her response to that bit of news.

Kera winces and gently stomps one of her feet as the pins and needles effect kicks in now that she can actually feel her leg again. As that the odd sensations eases she listens to her friends, grinning at the conversation. Dropping her hands from the bars, she starts slowly meandering arounds the monkey bars. "Easier to visit her now than it used to be, cheaper too now that I don't have to pay for each trip." Thinking about N'talya's circumstances a slight shrug lifts her shoulders "I think she's happy about it. A bundle of nerves over it, being her first, so it's not surprising she was sorta freaking out at first." stepping to the seesaw, she swipes her boots on the grass before stepping onto the plank.

Kiena is rather smug looking when Mur'dah blushes and she'll wink at him with a wickedly crooked grin. "I'll test you on that!" she drawls in challenge. "Later." She won't forget though and when Kera stops one of her feet, Kiena frowns. "Y'alright?" There's an understanding nod about the cost of travel and then she sighs, a flicker of sympathy showing briefly in her eyes as she follows Kera to the seesaw with her gaze. "Bundle of nerves is normal. Expected, even. First ones are the toughest. All new experience, right?" Right. "If she's happy about it, then that's all that matters really. Congrats to her… and best of luck too."

Mur'dah is a bit out of his depth with this…pregnancy talk, so…he goes down the slide. "Wheeee."

Kera carefully walks up the seesaw plank til she gets to the middle, turning slightly, she spends a short time adjusting her feet placement to maintain balance. Mostly. There are subtle constant weight shifts she makes as the trip continue chatting. Nodding to Kiena, her eyes slip to Mur'dah when he slidessssss enthusiastically. "Yea, those were my thoughts over it as well. But I think we're boring Mur'dah to the point that he's reverting to his childhood." Or maybe that's normal for the brownrider.

Kiena laughs both for Kera's comment and Mur'dah's child-like enthusiasm going down the slide. "Oh, it's just because he's a boy and his sensitive ears can't deal with the topic." she drawls, eyeing the brownrider with another teasing look before she's dismounting from the bars with a graceful leap. "Will you be visiting N'talya then soon? And what of…" Pause. "Fort." Need she say any more? And to take the edge off the subject she just brought up, Kiena will stride over to one of the slick, thick mud piles that looks well trodden on. Probably where the twins were playing earlier. She picks up a good clump of mud, then grins with a barely contained snicker. "Mur'dah?" Come here? Or stay there. Be a good target, will you?

Did Mur'dah ever /leave/ his childhood? His head turns when Kiena calls his name and he /eyes/ that clump of mud, and then her. "Yesssss?" He looks at Kera. Does she have mud too? Should he trust Kiena? Should he trust either of them?

Kera looks from Mur'dah back to Kiena with a knowing little grin. "Yea, you've probably got it the nail right on the head with that one." As she shifts her weight this way, then that slowly, she sorta teeters back and forth like a badly timed metronome. Still amused by her friends back and forth quips, she nods "When I can. I've a couple days off coming up next sevenday. Hopefully, I'll be able to spend more than a few quick minutes with my parents and to visit some friends too." Slipping her gaze between the two amoment, another nod tips her head "I'll probably visit Fort. But with how much time I spent there, competing in their recent games.." She chuckles and shakes her head, quickly altering her weight when the seesaw dips low to one side. "I'm still making good with a few wingmates, and a couple of apprentices in the infirmary, for the duty shifts they covered during The Games." Turning her gaze back to Kiena once she rebalances the plank, she eyes the bluerider and the mug in her hands, then gaze slides to the brownrider. Decifering the look he gives her, empty hands are shown. But the eager gleam of mischief does dance around her eyes.

Kiena just feigns innocence at Mur'dah's suspicious look. What? She's just, you know, holding mud? Nothing… worrisome at all about that. "Downside to taking extra time off, eh? I hear the eggs will be due to Hatch soon. You going to try to make it?" she asks, all while slowly edging closer and closer to the brownrider and keeping Kera to her side. No, she hasn't forgotten him. "Catch!" Oh yes, she very much the child right now as she slings that mud right for Mur'dah with a good, hard sweep of her arm. Kera might end up with some splatter too, which is unfortunate as she wasn't targeting the greenrider (yet). She will, however, give her a look and subtly jerk her head to the mud pile. DO IT! She can see that mischief! Live a little. Apparently the Weyrsecond is in a playful, devil-may-care mood.

Mur'dah arches his brows a bit. "Aren't you dating Cyrus?" he asks Kera. And then his eyes widen and all he can say is "You can't /catch/ mu-" and then he's hit. In the FACE. Blink blink. Then he roars (in play!) and bolts for Kiena.

Kera does seem to be considering grabbing up a handful of the mud, but keeps her boots firmly planted on the plank, teetering back and forth. Frowning a little that the Fortian clutch is expected to hatch soon, she murmurs "I hadn't realized that much time had slipped by." A quick head shake to bring her out of her thoughts, Mur'dah asking about Cyrus catches her a bit off gaurd. One end of the plank thunks heavily on the ground as Kera was too momentarily distracted to balance. Not at all concerned about dingy splatters that find her clothes, she looks between her two friends as they square off. After a few long seconds, she nods. "Yes. I guess we have started dating. Quite a few surprising turn of events at Fort." She chews her bottom lip briefly, eyeing Kiena cautiously, as if trying to deicde on something. She probably knows already so after a calming breath, she nods "I'll certainly try to make sure I don't miss their eggs twitching…..Cyrus will be there…" She pauses briefly and adds "He's a Fortian Candidate." Mouth snaps closed and she waits for the next explosion to hit Xanadu.

Kiena gasps when she accidentally nails Mur'dah in the face. Oops? She was aiming for his chest, honest! Then he's roaring and she yelps, "Shards!" And goes not he defensive by scooping up more mud and racing around the other side of Kera on the seesaw. Is she using the greenrider as a shield? Of course she is! Even with her eyes locked on Mur'dah, Kiena can hear Kera just fine. "Eggs have a funny way of doing that. Hardening for what feels like forever and then suddenly… BAM! It's time! I hadn't known you were dating Cyrus now though… was this before he was Searched?" she asks, a touch hurriedly. There doesn't seem to be a hint of anger or a sign of an explosion from the bluerider. Has she moved on past her issues? Probably. Briefly, she will look away from Mur'dah to fix Kera with a confused look. Now he has an opening! "… I know. I saw him briefly when I last visited Fort. Remember? We had discussed which events to partake in." And she behaved herself then too!
"I thought Candidates couldn't be in relationships?" See? Mur'dah can totally carry on a conversation as he scoops up a handful of mud. "Kera, DUCK!" and he flings it at Kiena.

Kera eyes the riders circling around the seesaw, her gaze narrows when she realizes she most likely will have to take another bath herself by the time they are done flinging mud at 'each other'. Oh well, good thing she's wearing old clothes. Thinking about how events have turned out, she shrugs. "We spending more time together just before he was searched." Another thoughtful moment passes "Since he was searched, we've both been quite busy with duties. So not so much lately. So, hard to say exactly when we started dating. If dating is even the right way to put it." Another shrug before she frowns when Mur'dah shouts for her to duck!. Really? She's standing on the seesaw, there is no where to duck too. She does lift her arms to cover her face though, just in case.

Don't worry, Kera! Kiena will overt think Mur'dah's next move and end up diving when she should have dodged and stayed put. So that mud he slings will clip her in the shoulder, resulting in a rather unladylike grunt and sworn oath. "…that's cold!" she gasps, shaking the worst of it off and going on the attack again. Rawr! Mud is gathered and slug at Mur'dah, though she'll come out from behind Kera now. And that conversation? Keeps going. Even if there are long, awkward broken pauses between. "…what do you mean… dating is dating… even with distance… and time… between… visits!"

"YEAH it is!" says mud-faced-Mur'dah. He grabs another handful to fling at Kiena with a laugh. "What else…could it be? Do you looooove him?" he teases.

Kera hears the grunt from Kiena and peeks between her fingers at the mudslinging pair dodging around her. Kiena's halting delivered comments are given some thought, "I hadn't really thought about it in terms of 'dating' though, until recently." A splat of mud on the seesaw cause Kera's foot to start sliding, tipping her weight suddenly and she jumps away off the plank before the handlebar can tangle her up. For some reason, she doesn't have a comment for Mur'dah's little taunt. Maybe he's got too much mud dodging on his mind to notice. Seeing mud flinging, she gives a startled little squeal as she drops into a crouch.

"Mur'dah!" Kera might not have heard that teasing comment, but Kiena did! He gets extra mud thrown at him for it too, though she's grinning from ear to ear. "You don't tease a girl about that!" Or maybe you do, but the bluerider is just trying to keep things playful. "Either way… good luck… Kera! Happiness… is what matters… Happiness… and trust!" She ducks, slips, ends up sliding a bit in the mud and pinwheeling madly before landing firmly on her butt. Ow? Don't mind her as her pride is bruised (and her tailbone). "Time out!" she calls, since Kera is also in the line of fire.

"There's no time out in mud fighting!" Mur'dah calls, racing forward to sliiiiide into the mud puddle beside Kiena. He grins at her and then reaches out a hand to…poke…at her shoulder. Gently. "You're it." He grins and tries to scramble back to his feet, slipping and sliding as he does, looking over at Kera with a wide grin.

Kera gives in and laughs as Kiena and Mur'dah's mudslinging goes to another level. The ground. She stops herself from stepping over to offer Kiena a hand up when Mur'dah rushes forward and slides in the squishy mud. Suddenly, the brownrider changes the game to…oh no…mudTag! Standing again and holding her hands up when he looks her way. Time to go before either of them get any crazy ideas. "Thanks Kiena. I reallllyyy, need to get going. Wanna grab something to eat before reporting for late duties." A quick wave is sent to both her friends as her feet begin backing away, keeping both in sight. "You both enjoy the rest of your…game, and evening." Failing to keep the smirk off her face when calling their little mudspat a game. Waving once more, she continues backing, and starting to turn away when she's hopefully out of throwing range.

"Going so soon?" Kiena mockingly pouts to Kera but she sobers soon afterwards and nods approvingly and understandingly to the greenrider. "Clear skies and don't work too hard now, Kera! Hope you have a good shift!" Then it's back to her game with Mur'dah, as he tags her as It and with a toothy grin she gives chase. If anyone witnesses her jumping onto his back (or trying to at least), well… she'll just firmly deny such dirty tricks! Not that they won't be covered head to toe in mud after this.

And if anyone sees Mur'dah carting Kiena off to his weyr piggy-back style? Well. They're just going to go get washed up.

Kiena gets a piggy-back ride to Mur'dah's weyr? Awesome. Not that she'll cling to him the entire way back. Mud makes things slick and slippery and she doesn't wish to hurt him either. So she'll slide off when they're close enough and after making sure no one is around… smack him swift and firm on his backside if she can reach or at least his hip before she RUNS, laughing wildly, up to his weyr. Is it unlocked? No matter. She'll wind up inside with him either way, won't she?